


Subtlety is not his middle name

by idontwantperfection



Series: Descendants AUs & such like [4]
Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Hades is a Good Parent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:28:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25538089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idontwantperfection/pseuds/idontwantperfection
Summary: Doug just wants his best friend to admit he has a new girlfriend.He doesn’t expect her to crash Royal Ascot, the highlight Auradon’s social calendar.He didn’t expect her to be a demigod either.
Relationships: Ben/Mal (Disney: Descendants), Doug/Evie (Disney: Descendants)
Series: Descendants AUs & such like [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1960822
Comments: 14
Kudos: 254





	Subtlety is not his middle name

**Author's Note:**

> So, it was harder to get into Doug’s head than I expected, but I’m going to post it anyway. 
> 
> I seem to be on a kick for ‘True Love always finds a way’ at the moment. I’m enjoying tweaking the characters as I tweak the variables of their lives!
> 
> While writing the longer fic I’m meant to be working on, Ben mentions Doug telling him that ‘whatever happened with the girl you won’t tell us about’ was his fault. And then this happened. Doug doesn’t care Ben’s the future king, he has no faith in him.
> 
> In this world, I see Auradon having the same kind of society as London. You have the normal people, then royalty, and then the people who could even buy and sell them. The gods as pretty neutral - they don’t engage in the politics of mortals, except Zeus, who likes his instagram account too much. This version of Mal had a relationship with Hades from a young age, and she grew up as the daughter of a god as well as the daughter of a villain. Because I refuse to believe that Fairy Godmother’s wand could trap a god.

“I don’t know why you don’t just bring your girlfriend to these things.” Doug muttered into his bottle of beer, taking a drink as he avoided making eye contact with Audrey.

When Ben had broken up with Audrey a year and a half ago, Doug felt like he’d broken up with her too. As Ben’s best friend, roommate and cover story, Audrey had directed a fair amount of her ire in his direction.

Maybe she’d expected Doug to talk some sense into Ben. Or she blamed Doug for Ben’s choice. Who knew. When it came to Sleeping Beauty’s daughter, nothing was impossible.

“I don’t have a girlfriend.” Ben quickly insisted, glancing around to see if anyone had heard. They hadn’t. Ben and Doug were alone at the bar in the Royal Box, while everyone else watched the horses lining up for the next race. 

Royal Ascot was one of the highlights of the social calendar. For the girls, it was an excuse to dress up and pull out the most extravagant hats you could imagine. Audrey’s had a peacock feather roughly twice the size of her head.

For the guys, it was an excuse to check out the eligible bachelorettes and get day-drunk. For all the guys except Crown Prince Benjamin, that was.

Twenty-five year old Prince Ben was the most eligible bachelor in Auradon after his break up from Princess Audrey Rose. It had shaken the royal social circles to the core. Everyone had been planning for an engagement announcement. The power couple had started dating when they were fifteen. They were together through three years of Auradon Prep, through four years at the University of Auradon, and a year of post-university royal duties. 

Audrey had revolutionised charity work in Auradon - she’d single handedly created a third sector in the employment market, focusing on non-profit work and championing causes that didn’t routinely make it to the top of the agenda. She was routinely recognised as the hardest working royal - from the member kingdoms and within the High Royal Family. 

She was on the path to becoming the People’s Queen - so when Ben had broken up with her out of the blue (even Doug had been surprised) the nation had been heartbroken along with Audrey. 

That was a year and a half ago. But now, when it was clear the was going to be no reconciliation, Ben was like fresh meat. And events like this turned into avoiding the girls brave enough to face Audrey's wrath,  _ and  _ his ex-girlfriend. 

Doug had a theory that Audrey didn’t even want Ben back at this point. She seemed quite happy with the attention lavished on her by Chad Charming during their on again, off again arrangement. Her charity work was as successful as ever. She’d just launched a makeup line. 

But her grandmother, Queen Leah, had ambitions of reinstating their family to the ruling line. And granny controlled the trust funds. 

“Can we stop pretending you don’t sneak off somewhere every other weekend?” Doug turned and levelled Ben with a look that told him he wasn’t getting away with an excuse this time. Ben might have moved out of their shared apartment when they’d graduated two years ago, but they were as close as ever. And Doug noticed things, “For what it’s worth, I like seeing you happy.”

Ben looked at Doug with a guarded expression, as if he was going to deny it. But then he sighed, blowing out the breath he’d been holding. He dropped his shoulders and ran a hand through his hair nervously, “Yeah. I am.” 

Ben smiled, and Doug almost wanted to be jealous. The small smile as he thought of the girl who had his heart, the way it lit up his face. Ben deserved to be that happy. 

Then he glanced around the room, as if he was seeing it for the first time. He offered Doug a small shrug before taking a drink of his own beer, “But this isn’t exactly her scene.”

Ben said it as if he expected that to be the end of it. 

It was as if he didn’t know him. 

Doug frowned, pointing to the reporters milling around the press area of the box. “So you put her through sitting at home, watching as the media try to catch you and Audrey in the same frame?”

Doug may be perpetually single, but he wasn’t stupid. Nothing had ever lasted more than three months and he was okay with that. He knew why they didn’t last. Growing up with Lonnie and Jane, watching their misadventures in dating, he knew Ben’s girlfriend must be feeling the headlines. 

It wasn’t like she lived on the Isle of the Lost where the gossip rags didn’t land, and it was only Royal Coverage that made it onto the TV. 

“I didn’t say it was my idea.” Ben muttered, his face saying what he wouldn’t. 

Ben wanted the girl here on his arm. She wasn't here because  _ she  _ didn’t want to be.

Okay, it was time for a change of tactic. Doug leant back against the bar, keeping his eyes on the group of girls giggling at them from the corner, studying them as if he was picking one out. He wasn’t, but it kept the focus of anyone watching off the conversation. “I say this as your best friend. You can’t hide forever. If it’s going to be something that’ll last...she needs to be part of this world. And if she’s not ready for that by now...maybe it’s not going to last.”

Doug suspects that Ben’s been with this girl for about a year. It’s definitely been eight or nine months. 

“What if...and this is purely hypothetical.” Ben settled against the bar next to him, throwing a tight smile at the giggling group. “What if I’d met someone and she wasn’t from Auradon.”

Suppressing the urge to grin at finally getting Ben to open up, Doug just shrugged, “You mean someone like Snow White’s step cousin Helena? Has her own kingdom and totally gets the pressures of royal life? Or someone like Lonnie’s cousin Mei? Who is so far from princess she makes Lonnie look like Audrey?”

“Forget it.” Ben shook his head when one of the girls broke away from the group and headed towards them. He turned back towards the bar, throwing Doug a pleading look. He stayed silent as Doug executed the practiced maneuver - eye contact and an incline of the head to one of the single minor royals in attendance, signalling this one was theirs.

Once the nephew of Aladdin (the son of one of Jasmine’s many cousins) had successfully intercepted the girl, steering her and her friends over to his corner of the box, Doug turned back to Ben. 

He simply raised an eyebrow, handing the floor back to Ben.

“She’s amazing.” Ben admitted, after trying to fight to keep the subject closed for a long moment. He gazed at his beer in wonder, playing with the label as if it held all the answers. Doug smirked, Ben had it bad. “She’s smart and sarcastic and the first time we met she thought I was an intruder and put me on my ass.”

Ben glanced back to Doug, waiting until he’d taken a sip of his drink to add, “I met her on that diplomatic trip to Mount Olympus last year.”

Doug gasped mid swallow, choking on his beer. Once he’d regained control of his breathing, waving away the worried staff who suddenly appeared offering water and napkins. Once they were alone, Doug hissed, “ _ You’re dating a god? _ ”

“Demigod. She’s half fairy.” 

“And that’s supposed to make it better?” Doug groaned, suddenly understanding why the girl wasn’t here. 

Ben was screwed. 

The food chain in Auradonian society was pretty simple. You had the normal people. Then you had the minor royals, who weren’t directly in line for the throne of a member kingdom, and the self-made millionaires. Then there were the Royal Families of the member kingdoms, ranked by proximity to the High King. Then there was Ben’s family.  _ Then _ there were the Gods.

The gap between the minor royals and Ben was tiny when compared to Ben and the Gods. They generally kept to themselves, rarely venturing off of Olympus. Some of the demigods mixed - but they tended to be party girls, here to cause havoc on Earth before their daddies summoned them home.

On the rare occasion someone from Olympus attended one of Belle’s Galas or state events, they stood out. Not only did they ooze godly power, they were kind of illuminated from the inside out. And the sheer  _ wealth _ you could accumulate by being immortal…

Doug wasn’t sure if he was more impressed that Ben had bagged someone from that world, or terrified of the impact on his friend when it inevitably ended in tears. This was going to be his karma for breaking Audrey’s heart. 

“That’s not what makes it worse…” Ben muttered darkly, but Doug was too far gone to pick up on the words.

“So you’re in love with someone who is basically immortal,” If they weren’t in the Royal Box, Doug would be pacing anxiously. As it was, his leg was doing some kind of nervous twitch thing. “Oh god, you’re going to tell me her father is Zeus. He has kids everywhere-”

“Hades, actually,” Ben cut in, completely deadpan. 

Doug was silent for a moment as that sunk in. Things began to fall into place, why Ben had played his cards so close to the vest. There were so many ways this could go wrong. 

It had probably started as a fling. Something like Audrey and Chad’s arrangement. And then...one of them fell hard? Doug was sure it had been Ben. And then, what...he wore her down?

“Oh, fabulous,” Doug laughed hollowly, wondering if the God of the Underworld worked with the concept of guilt by association. “Your future father-in-law can steal your soul when you fuck up.” 

Because it was Ben. He was the poster boy for goodness. But he could also be a tad naive, and he sometimes let his Beast side take control without realising it. The boy was an idealist. 

Jesus, how had this girl not eaten him for breakfast already.

“Jesus, Ben, what are you…” Doug trailed off, unsure of what his next point even was. He’d expected it to be some socialite, or a princess from another country. He’d expected he’d be able to spur Ben into action easily enough. Oh he’d been so far off. “You are batting so far out of your league. No wonder she doesn’t want to slum it here.”

“That’s not quite-” 

“Hi ho…” Doug cut Ben off when he caught sight of the girls who had just entered the room. Doug hadn’t seen them enter, but he’d noticed the way the attention of the room shifted. And he could see why, “She is so out of my league but I’m going to try anyway.”

They didn’t make girls like  _ that _ in Auradon. 

Doug didn’t think the girls were sisters, although there were similarities. One was tall and curvy with bright blue hair twisted into an elaborate hairstyle. She had a tiny hat pinned into her hair, as if she knew a hat would ruin her outfit and got creative with the dress code. Not that Doug thought anything could take away from the way the blue dress with the silver trim hugged her hips, or the golden heels lengthened her legs.

The other was shorter, more petite, paler. Her skin had an almost elvin glow, the kind you aw in the woodland fairies. Doug couldn’t decide if her hair was purple or blue, or somewhere in the middle, like nightfall. Her dress was a purple halter neck, with intricate beading swirling across the body, ending mid thigh with a skirt that had more layers of chiffon than Doug knew what to do with. (He grew up with Jane. He knew  _ exactly _ what chiffon was.) Her slanted hat had a wide brim - and  _ snakes _ woven in with the feathers?

Yep, those were definitely silver snakes, with emeralds for eyes. 

No points for guessing who  _ her _ father was.

“You  _ better  _ be talking about Evie.” 

Doug was surprised by Ben’s growl. He turned back to his friend, taken aback by the Beast that was hiding behind his eyes. He’d never seen Ben react like this over a girl, but rather than buy into the beast, he rolled his eyes. “Of course I am. Come on, growly. Introduce me to your girl before Chad gets any closer.”

Doug watched as Ben realised that Prince Charming Junior - third in line to the Auradon throne - was moving in towards the girls. He had never seen this side of Ben before - expression hard, the Beast glinting in his eyes, fists clenched. If they weren’t in the middle of the Royal Box - and if at least one of the girls wasn’t a demigod - he might have found it funny.

Right now he was just painfully aware of all the cameras that would catch Ben throwing a punch.

Chad slid in beside the girls, reaching for the purple one’s hand. Ben actually growled as he pushed off the bar and stalked towards Chad.

Doug looked to the sky, praying for strength, before following. 

“Chad. Buddy.” Doug caught up with Ben as he threw an arm around Chad’s shoulder. He clapped Chad on the arm, squeezing just a little too tight, his smile just a little too fake as he stated, “I think Audrey’s looking for you.”

Chad turned to Ben with a frown, then caught up when he noticed the smile Ben threw him had far too much teeth to be civil. 

“Oh,” He glanced back at the girls, the one in the purple smirking at his position as if that was her plan all along, “They’re with-”

“Uh-uh.” Ben agreed with another pointed look. Chad made his excuses and quickly left, the girl in the purple throwing him a finger wave before sharing an exasperated look with Ben.

If Doug thought Ben had lit up when he was talking about her earlier, it was nothing compared to the way he was now. His shoulders seemed more relaxed, the smile was contagious, and he was leaning in towards her as if he couldn’t stand the few inches between them. 

The girl seemed to be the same way - the only way Doug could describe the way she looked at Ben was adoring.

She was the one who closed the distance, stepping into his personal space and winding her arms around his waist.  _ Inside _ his suit jacket.

Ben put his arm around her. 

The room went silent. Doug was pretty sure he saw a camera go off.

“You’re here.” Doug could hear the surprise in Ben’s voice, as if he was still trying to work out if he was imagining things or not.

“I’m here.” The girl agreed, sounding nervous but resolved. That surprised Doug. Any of the gods - or demigods - he’d come across had been social butterflies. Or had viewed humans as little social experiments. This girl was...different. If anything, she reminded Doug of Lonnie. Not quite a princess. More a warrior. 

“And everyone’s staring.” she continued, trying not to look around the room. The whispering had started now as everyone tried to work out who the girl in Prince Ben’s arms was. Except the King, who seemed to know and did not look happy about it.

“Let them.” Ben shrugged, squeezing her arm reassuringly. Seeming to remember Doug was standing next to him, he turned and extended his hand in his friends direction. “Ladies, this is Doug. My best friend and roommate from the ages of eleven to twenty two. Doug, this is my girlfriend Mal and her best friend Evie.” 

The second girl, Evie, gave a small dip in greeting. Mal smiled and nodded. Doug raised a hand in a wave, but kept his eyes fixed on Evie. She definitely had royal blood. Maybe she belonged to a kingdom that hadn’t joined Auradon. 

She was so out of his league. But that had never stopped him before. 

“I like how you managed to say that without mentioning parents.” Mal cut in, throwing Ben a pointed look. 

Ben met it head on, his tone completely even as he reminded her, “We aren’t our parents.”

It seemed like this was a point of contention with them. Doug understood why. He only had to remember his reaction mere minutes before.

Mal rolled her eyes, instead turning her gaze to Doug. She sounded almost bored, but her eyes were guarded, wanting for a bad reaction, “My mom’s Maleficent. Evie is the Evil Queen’s daughter.”

Doug was pretty sure his brain ground to a halt, never mind his heart. Fear pierced his chest, making it hard to breathe. 

He could see Ben staring at him over Mal’s head, clearly pleading with him not to overreact. But it was Evie’s reaction that grounded him.

The way her eyes widened in fear then shuttered, anticipating the hurt. 

She expected him to blow up, to hurt her. He wondered how many men had done just that. For some inexplicable reason, he didn’t want to be in that category.

Making a conscious effort to stomp his panic down, he laughed weakly. “Can I amend my previous statement? When you  _ inevitably _ fuck this up, her father is going to steal your soul  _ and _ her mother is going to curse you.”

Ben mouthed ‘thank you’ over Mal’s head, then bent down to whisper something in her ear. Rolling his eyes, he was doing a lot of that tonight, Doug extended an arm out to Evie. “I feel like we should escape to the bar before these two get any more sickeningly sweet.”

“You really don’t care that I’m a VK?” Evie’s brow furrowed as she looked Doug up and down. She liked what she saw, he knew that much, but she didn’t trust him. 

She probably didn’t trust anybody.

“I probably should, considering my dad’s Dopey,” he admitted, despite the fact that the role her mother played in his father's story hadn’t crossed his mind. Weird. “But who am I to make a beautiful woman drink alone. We should be just fine if we stay away from the appletinis.” 

Evie laughed when he winked at her, a genuine laugh that sounded kind of like wind chimes. Threading her hand around his arm, she let him guide her to the bar as she asked about  _ everything _ .

...

“You look amazing.” Ben whispered as Evie and Doug made their way to the bar. 

Smiling into her hair, Ben turned and pulled her down to the front of the Royal Box, where part of the railing against the glass balcony was cordoned off for Ben’s family and their guests. It offered an unobstructed view of the racecourse, without the need to mingle with the rest of the box. 

Ben didn’t tend to use it, most days he’d rather be with everyone else. But right now he wanted to be front and centre, and to give Mal some breathing space.

He knew how hard this was for her. She was used to operating in the shadows, of ruling with fear. She was used to being her mother’s daughter.

Today, she needed to be her father’s daughter. The diplomat, the socialite.

The Crown Prince’s girlfriend.

It was easy on Olympus and in the Underworld. Everyone knew who they were. No one cared who her mother was, or what she’d done. That was just pocket change.

Even on the Isle, when he was pretending to be someone who was recently banished from Auradon, no one blinked. He was just Mal’s latest plaything.

But here, centre stage, it was only a matter of time before someone other than his father realised.

“What can I say, Evie’s a genius.” Mal shrugged, a blush creeping up her neck. She turned and gripped the balcony, gazing out across the field. She put on a good act, as if the stares and cameras ceased to exist. But he noticed the way her knuckles turned white on the rail. “My dad gave me some horses. So I’m totally allowed to be here.”

Stepping up behind her, Ben placed his hands over hers, effectively boxing her in. It was a gesture far more intimate than he’d ever publicly shown with Audrey. He felt Mal relax against his chest, and knew he’d done the right thing.

He caught sight of one of the cameras on the ground turning to focus on them, but didn’t point it out. 

Her mother would know by now. And Jay, and Carlos, and the rest of the Isle. All of Auradon would know they were together.

“You  _ are _ allowed to be here.” Ben reminded her of the legislation his father had signed that morning. Mal was a demigod, and a citizen of Olympus by birth. She could come and go as she pleased. But now, she and her friends had officially been granted asylum in Auradon. Mal had brought Evie over first, then the boys. Ben assumed they were still being mothered by Mrs Potts. 

His father wasn’t exactly happy about the pairing, but had been informed by Belle he would respect his son’s decisions.

“Should we take bets on how long it takes them to work out who you are?” Ben suspected it would be a few days. The pictures would hit the news sites tonight, the newsstands tomorrow. Then it was only a matter of time before an ‘anonymous source’ (one of the guards from the Isle) let it slip.

Mal just laughed, and reached into her purse to pull out her cell phone - an Olympian model, one of the few phones that worked on the Isle. Flicking straight to a news site, she held it up for him to see.

“My uncle Zeus already leaked the pictures of us from Persephone’s birthday party last month.”


End file.
